Military spending in Nigeria

Nigeria: Military spending was 1.76 billion constant 2024 US$ in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)
1.76 billion constant 2024 US$
Change on year
up 54.8%
World rank
72nd
of 162 countries
All-time high
4.66 billion constant 2024 US$
in 1975
All-time low
119.86 million constant 2024 US$
in 1960
Years of data
66
1960–2025

Military spending in Nigeria, 1960–2025

01.0B2.0B3.0B4.0B5.0B196019922025

Source: Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in constant 2024 US$.

Analysis

The most recent figure for military spending in Nigeria is 1.76 billion constant 2024 US$, measured in 2025.

The figure is up 54.8% on the previous year and up 48.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, military spending in Nigeria peaked at 4.66 billion constant 2024 US$ in 1975 and was at its lowest, 119.86 million constant 2024 US$, in 1960.

That places Nigeria 72nd out of 162 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1960s 667.09 million constant 2024 US$ 119.86 million constant 2024 US$ 2.65 billion constant 2024 US$ 10
1970s 2.85 billion constant 2024 US$ 1.87 billion constant 2024 US$ 4.66 billion constant 2024 US$ 10
1980s 774.42 million constant 2024 US$ 264.43 million constant 2024 US$ 1.93 billion constant 2024 US$ 10
1990s 436.43 million constant 2024 US$ 333.77 million constant 2024 US$ 775.61 million constant 2024 US$ 10
2000s 888.63 million constant 2024 US$ 598.95 million constant 2024 US$ 1.29 billion constant 2024 US$ 10
2010s 1.28 billion constant 2024 US$ 1.09 billion constant 2024 US$ 1.57 billion constant 2024 US$ 10
2020s 1.68 billion constant 2024 US$ 1.13 billion constant 2024 US$ 2.38 billion constant 2024 US$ 6

Countries ranked near Nigeria

  1. 69 Uruguay 1.91 billion constant 2024 US$ compare
  2. 70 Belarus 1.83 billion constant 2024 US$ compare
  3. 71 Uzbekistan 1.77 billion constant 2024 US$ compare
  4. 73 Armenia 1.65 billion constant 2024 US$ compare
  5. 74 Latvia 1.60 billion constant 2024 US$ compare
  6. 75 Libya 1.60 billion constant 2024 US$ compare

See the full ranking of 162 places →

More reference data data for Nigeria

All data for Nigeria →

Frequently asked questions

What is military spending in Nigeria?
Military spending in Nigeria was 1.76 billion constant 2024 US$ in 2025, according to Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest military spending recorded in Nigeria?
The highest recorded value was 4.66 billion constant 2024 US$ in 1975.
What is the lowest military spending recorded in Nigeria?
The lowest recorded value was 119.86 million constant 2024 US$ in 1960.
How does Nigeria rank for military spending?
Nigeria ranks 72nd out of 162 countries with data for 2025.
Is military spending rising or falling in Nigeria?
Over the last ten years it is up 48.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Nigeria data come from?
The figures come from Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Military spending. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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About this data

Indicator
Military spending
Unit
constant 2024 US$
Source
Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
162 places, 8,341 data points, 1949–2025
Last refreshed

This data is expressed in US dollars. It is adjusted for inflation but does not account for differences in the cost of living between countries.